The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1887-10-11

polating certain eXpietiVes and amplln-
cations. The commission unanimously
declined to accede to this request, Tor
the reasons assigned in written COM
munication. [See Appendix, II
Quite a number of the Mormonsr as
well as the non-Mormon declined TO
take the oath; the latter, as we were
officially informed, Directing to the
clause cor cerning adultery and tornlca-
! ton.
The general result of the election OF
August 1st may be stated as follows;
Of the So members of the Legislative
| Assembly. the Mormons elected 81, and
the Gentiles 5. OF the territorial,
county and precinct officers, large
majority of those elected are Mormons,
none of whom, however, are living In
polygamy.
In former official reports the commits
sion several times expressed the opinion
that the laws of Congress, in cOnnec-
ton with other influences, were set
ting Strongly in the direction OF re-
form" in Utah; and that at no distant
day this relic OF AsiatiC barbarlSm
(pOlygamyA would be swept from the
land" We have predicted from the be-
ginning, that the legal discrimination
in favor of the homogeneous MormOns
against the poIygamlstS would sooner
or later be attended with good results.
Early in the present year we thought
we discerned a disposition among the
MormonS to give up the practice OF
polygamy; and we wish to add that we
have used our official and personal in
fiuence to induce the Mormons to take
such a step.
Early in June of the present year,
we were gratifed to learn that gen.
eral movement for the abrogation OF
polygamy was taking an organized
form. The central committee OF the
Peoples (MOrmoD) Party" published
a call in the newspapers for mass meet
ings of the legal voters to be held in all
the counties of the Territory, to select
delegates to a convention to be held IN
Salt Lake City, June 80, 1887, for the
purpose of adopting a State Constitu-
ton, and inviting all parties in the Ter
ritory to participate in those meetings.
The other political parties in the Terri
tory declined to participate N the move
ment.
The convention, with delegates from
all or nearly all the counties IN the Ter
ritory, met at the time and place desig-
mated and remained in session over
week. During their session the COM
mission received communication
from them requesting US to take charge
of the election for the adoption or re-
lection of the proposed constitution by
the legal voters, at the general election
to be held August LIST.
The commission responded by dis
claiming any express legal authority to
take any official action in the premises,
but considering the fact as represented,
that said proposed constitution would
contain a prohibition of the institution
and practice of polygamy as well
as a prohibition of the union Of
church and state-the suppression of
polygamy being contemplated by the
acts of Congress under which the com
mission is acting" We expressed a will
Iingness 20 recommend to the judges
of election that they might receive all
the ballots which should be cast by the
qualified voters on said proposition,
and deposite the same in separate boxes
to be provided by the convention; and
to canvas and make return of the same
to such authority as the convention
should provide"
This recommendation was printed 10
the form of q resolution and sent by the
commission to the judges OF election
throughout the Territory, prefaCed with
the following preamble:
Whereas, The prohibition of polygamy is
the paramount object OF the special legisle-
ton of Congress as applicable TO Utah, we
are of the opinion that when the great bod
of the legal voters of the Territory manifest
a disposition to place themselves on record
against pOlygamy, in OWSOeVer an informal
manner, they ought to be encouraged
therein, the object of the government being
not to destroy but to reform the Mormon
people"
The convention concluded not to fur
nish the separate ballot boxes, bat to
rely on the Judges Of election, or some
of them, to count the votes and make
return of the election on the adoption
or rejection of the proposed Constitu-
ton. This was done in nearly all the
voting precincts, and the result was:
Against the constitution. 5O4 votes
But few of the Gentiles voted on this
proposition, and OF the 504 negative
votes probably about one half were cast
BY Mormons. The total vote for mem
bers of the Legislative Assembly was
about 16. 500, OF which the gentiles cast
about 500, so it appears that about %
per cent. of the Mormon voters cast
luS1I JULIUS lOI lAO
In this connection, we wish to state
that, in such action as the commission
has taken in regard 10 the vote on this
question, we expressly disclaim any
purpose of interfering in the question
of Statehood for Utah. But certainly,
whether that Territory shall be ad-
mitted early, late, or never, a strong
advanced position is gained, when the
great mass OF the people are iaduced,
either in a regular or informal and I'M
usual manner. to place themselves on
record in oppo.itiJn to polygamy.
The provisions of the proposed con-
stitution of the state of Utah upon
the question under consideration, are
the following:
Section lof Article Thera shall be no
union of church and state, nor shall any
church dominate the state.
Sec. u Tof Art. XIV. Bigamy and polyg-
any neing considered incompatible with
Republican frmSof government" each OF
them is hereby forbidden and declared a
misdeme2nDr
ANY person who shall violate this section
shall. on conviction thereof, be punished by
a fine o. not more than one thousand dol.
lars ana imprisonment for term or not less
than six months nor more than three years,
in the discreU on f the court This section
shall b. construed as operative without the